The Nation Newspaper

Tag: orthopaedic

  • Varsity teaching hospital successfully performs first spinal surgery

    The Orthopaedic Department of the Babcock University Teaching Hospital (BUTH) in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun, said on Tuesday that it had successfully carried out its first spine surgery.

    This is coming barely three months after the hospital recorded its first total knee replacement surgical procedure.

    Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Dr Kelechukwu Onuoha, Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon with BUTH, said that the surgery was carried out under general anaesthesia on a middle-aged female patient with multi-level spinal stenosis.

    Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces within your spine, which can put pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine.

    The condition occurs most often in the lower back and the neck.

    READ ALSO: Babcock varsity to perform open heart surgery

    Some people with spinal stenosis may not have symptoms

    Onuoha described the procedure as a revision spinal surgery L2 – L5 lumber spinal decompression and instrumentation.

    “The 59-years-old patient, who asked for protection of her identity, had undergone a spinal surgery five years earlier in another hospital,” he said.

    The surgeon added that the procedure lasted five hours and was carried out in the BUTH ultra-modern, new orthopaedic theatre.

    According to Onuoha, the patient, who is Nigerian, has been discharged and is undergoing rehabilitation.

  • Mission builds orthopaedic ward

    In order to provide assistance for those in need of artificial limbs, the Leprosy Mission (TLM) Nigeria, an international Christian non-governmental organisation (NGO), has constructed a new orthopaedic ward in Minna, the Niger State capital, reports JUSTINA ASISHANA

    In its commitment to provide assistance for those in need of artificial limbs, the Leprosy Mission (TLM) Nigeria has constructed a new orthopaedic ward in Minna, the Niger State capital.

    The Leprosy Mission is an international Christian non-governmental organisation (NGO) that serves the needs of people affected by leprosy ailment. It also provides practical support for people with leprosy-related problems.

    It works in partnership with communities, governments and other agencies. The orthopaedic ward was established to meet the needs of people with orthopaedic cases and to render services to people with these cases in order to lessen the tendency of their travelling from far distances to access medical care.

    The Mission, whose primary concern is treatment of people suffering from leprosy, also manufactures artificial limbs for people with fractures resulting from road crashes.

    The nine-room facility has an orthopaedic construction workshop which will meet the needs of many patients.

    Speaking at the inauguration of the new orthopaedic ward at The Leprosy Mission (TLM) in Minna, the National Director TLM, Dr. Sunday Udoh said the Mission had fitted limbs for no fewer than 170 patients, including injured soldiers during the course of fighting Boko Haram insurgents and accident victims. He added that more will be done with the construction of the workshop and wards.

    “For the past one year, we have fitted over 150 limbs for different disabilities. Some of our clients include some members of the Nigerian Army who sent injured soldiers who were fighting the Boko Haram insurgents and also accident victims.

    “The fitting is very affordable compared to when patients travel abroad or visit some other health facilities in the country,” he said.

    Dr Udoh also said the orthopaedic ward was constructed in order to address the need of clients who travel from far distances to access medical services.

    “The TLM Nigeria Orthopedic Ward is a one-stop shop to enable clients a place where they can access our services without going through the stress of looking for hotel or transportation from town to the centre.  Most of our clients spend minimum of 10 days to get these fittings, especially as they have to go through pre-and post-fitting physiotherapy sessions,” he said.

    The Director of Rehabilitation from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Nkem Onwukwe praised the Leprosy Mission Nigeria for its commitment toward improving mobility of people who are struggling with one form of orthopaedic situations or the other.

    She noted that the TLM Orthopaedic Ward will give relief to Nigerians who struggle to get limbs imported to the country at exorbitant prices, saying the Ministry of Women Affairs is partnering with the Mission on the production of assistive devices for people with disabilities.

    She stated that Nigeria is committed to ensuring that the provisions of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are implemented. We are working to ensuring access by PWDs and members of staff working with them and also encouraging entities that produce mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies.

    “Disability is complex phenomenon and issues of personal mobility of people with disabilities ought to be tailored towards the specific category of individual disability. I appreciate TLM Nigeria for its efforts in the production of assistive technologies such as above and below knee prosthetics, moulded shoes, elephant booth and orthosis, among others,” she said.

    Also speaking, member of Trustee of the Leprosy Global Fellowship, Dr. Shem Zagbayi Nuhu said the idea was conceived and approved by the Leprosy Mission of England and Wales.

    “Raising funds for support is a major challenge in Nigeria for people living with disabilities and leprosy and the project runs into millions of naira”, he said.

    Dr. Nuhu, who incidentally was born at the TLM, Minna in 1957, urged Nigerians not to treat affected persons with disdain, saying “it can lead to psychological trauma.”

    A beneficiary of the services of The Leprosy Mission Orthopaedic Workshop, Valda Martins said the fittings made by the Mission are world-class as she had not had cause to go abroad for fittings since she began exploring their services.

    She urged people with disabilities not to shy away from using fittings as it does not reduce them in anyway, even as she called for a better treatment for people with disabilities.

    “Fittings do not reduce you and having a disability is nothing bad. People with disabilities should not be treated with disdain rather; they should be given preference and treated well,” she said.

     

  • 200 surgeries at Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu

    200 surgeries at Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu

    More than 200 hip and joint surgeries have been carried out at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu (NOHE) since 2008, Chief Medical Director Dr. Cajethan Nwadinigwe has said.

    Nwadinigwe, who was briefing journalists on the activities of the hospital, expressed delight that with the effort of the medical team, such surgeries have become a routine.

    He explained that arthritis is the failure of a joint, adding that any joint in the body could be affected, but more commonly the weight bearing joints like the knees and hips.

    He said there are different types of arthritis, namely: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout arthritis and septic arthritis, among others.

    He said, “Osteoarthritis is the more common type of arthritis which can be primary or secondary. Treatment options include drug therapy, physical therapy and load reduction. Surgery is indicated where conservative measures fail, or late presenters with badly damaged joints. Surgical options include realignment osteotomy, arthroplasty and arthrodesis”.

    He stated that Arthroplasty, otherwise known as total joint replacement is an operation in which a diseased joint is replaced with prosthesis to relieve pain and improve function and has been ongoing at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu (NOHE) since 2008.

    “The hospital has an arthroplasty team which carries out total hip replacement and total knee replacement surgeries on patients who have end stage arthritis unresponsive to conservative management; the native surfaces of hips and knees which are diseased are removed and replaced with prosthesis,” explained the surgeon.

    The benefits of hip joint and replacement include; pain relief, improvement in function, ýdecreased intake of drugs and so less complications from non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs, and improved quality of life, he remarked.

    He continued: “The peculiarity of the cases that present in our hospital is the complexity of the hips and knees; patients in our environment wait until they are almost bedridden before seeking help from the hospital. As such the cartilages and ligaments are badly degenerated with presence of bone defects and joint deformities. These make for a complex primary knee or hip. This becomes a challenge to the Surgeon and, the physiotherapist who rehabilitates the patients.

    “Total joint replacement is commonly performed on the elderly group of patients which is the group that presents more with Osteoarthritis. Increasingly though, the younger age groups are presenting for arthroplasty surgery particularly following mismanaged injury to these joints. Of note to the public is the importance of presenting early to the hospital following joint pains or joint trauma for early and proper management of the condition. Patients are however, advised to take the advantage of the availability of arthroplasty services in our environment and reduce the recent trends of medical tourism in our country.

  • Rotary donates special wheelchairs to orthopaedic hospital

    As part of its efforts to bring succour to spinal cord injury victims, Rotary International Club of Ikeja South has made a donation of specialized wheelchairs to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos.

    The specialized wheelchairs, comprising of the commode, electric wheelchair and manual, according to Governor, District 9110, Otunba Bola Onabadejo, is a manifestation of the Rotary International’s objectives of touching lives and putting smiles on the faces of the needy.

    He noted that healthcare, which includes disease prevention, maternal newborn and child health, was a major area of focus for Rotary, adding that the recent victory of Nigeria over polio was achieved by the immense work of the international service organisation which began in 1905.

    Rotn Onabadejo, who formally presented the wheelchairs to Chief Nurse Officer, Mrs. Helen Okereke, at the Spinal Cord Injury Ward F, used the opportunity to encourage Nigerians who live in Lagos and Ogun states which make up District 9110 to join the club so as to impact society.

    In his remarks, President of Rotary Club of Ikeja South, Mr. Oladele Oyatope, said the wheelchairs were presented to his club by the late Mrs. Bolaji Ajayi, and was thankful to her family for deciding to donate them to the hospital for the benefit of other Nigerians.

    An elated Mrs. Helen Okereke, while thanking Rotary, explained that the electric wheelchair is a special assistant machine that can be easily manipulated even by patients who are paralysed from neck down.

    “It would enable them move around easily and aid there recovery process,” Okereke said.

    She used the opportunity to call on other humanitarian organisations to come to the aid of the hospital, which according to her, is in need of specialized equipment.

    Apart from the District Governor, others at the presentation were Assistant Governor, Rotn Kemi Popoola; Rotn Bade Oke (Past Assistant Governor); Rotn (Dr.) Julius S.O. Nwokoro and Rotn Niyi Otunuyi.

  • Nigerian firm manufactures orthopaedic aids

    United States-based orthopedic outfit, the Delta Orthopedic Laboratory Centre, is set to give Nigerians seeking prosthetics or orthotics aid a new lease of life.

    The outfit, which recently came into the country, is promising advanced bionic technology and affordable prosthetics services for all levels of amputations.

    Founded by a Nigerian Prosthetist and Orthotist, Gbolahan Ayodele Sasona, the centre, located at In Ibadan, Oyo State, is first of its kind in the country.

    According to Sasona, the centre was established out of the need to give hope, comfort and help change lives of amputees with prosthetics/orthotics, spinal braces, and fracture bracing at all levels.

    Data from Nigeria estimate that lower limbs are more often involved in amputations requiring prosthetics. Sasona described prosthetics and orthotics as the science of fabricating various orthopedic devices or appliances to substitute or replace a missing body part.

    According to him, “Orthotics is so wide that it comprises virtually the entire body segments. Nigeria currently boasts of three National Orthopedic Hospitals located in the Northern, Western and Eastern part of the country with functional prosthetic/orthotic services, yet the country has less than 10 trained professionals.

    “One of the advantages here is that patients don’t have to travel to South Africa, United Kingdom, India or United States to be able to get the kind of effective treatment and care they desire. Whatever we do in the Nigerian office is of the same standard with that of the United States. We deal with all levels of amputations starting from the hip disarticulation, above the knee amputation, knee disarticulation, below the knee amputation, and amputation across the ankle, both at the upper and the lower extremities.

    “For instance, if someone is involved in a road traffic accident and loses an arm or leg, we have all levels of prosthetic devices that can replace that function adequately. And with the advent of technology, we have some computerbased application known as bionics,” Sasona explained. Special Assistant to Oyo State Governor on People with Disability, Prince Paul Ayodele Adelabu, acknowledged the essence of the new centre.

    He said: “This is the first time in Nigeria I would encounter a fully functioning prosthetics/orthotics laboratory. If you have been to the National Orthopedics Hospital in Lagos, then you would appreciate the cutting edge and advanced prosthetics and orthotics designs available here in Ibadan.”